Fence-making machine.



PATENTED APR. 2', i907.

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' A TZORNEYS v E. DIAL. PENGEMAKING MACHINE APPLICATION FILED JAN. 1 19 YVVZTNIES g No. 849,057. PATENTED APR. 2, 1907.

B. DIAL.

FENCE MAKING MACHINE. APPLIOATION 11.31) umm, 1907.

H/[ZZVESSES ATTORNEYS PATENTED APRZ, 1907.

B. DIAL. FENCE MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14, 1907.

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A TTORNE Y5 UNITE ELLIOTT DIAL, OF VIVIAN, LOUISIANA.

FENCE-MAKING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 2, 1907.

Application filed January 14, 1907. Serial No. 352,249

T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLIOTT DIAL, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Vivian, in the parish of Oaddo and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Fence- Making Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in fence-making machines; and its object is to provide a portable unit comprising a machine for making wire fences and a power driving means, both mounted upon a portable structure, so as to be moved from place to place either by the power inherent in the machine or by draft-animals or otherwise.

The machine consists, essentially, of a truck having traction-wheels at one end and steering-wheels at the other end, a wire fence machine mounted upon the traction end of the truck, an explosive-engine or other compact power-generating device also mounted on the truck, and connections between the engine and the fence-machine and also to the traction mechanism so timed that the truck will be automatically moved at sufficient speed to keep the fence as it is being made under proper strain for the best working conditions.

The device is also provided with means for controlling the engine and steering the truck within reach of an operator at the fencemaking end of the machine.

A fence-making unit constructed in accordance with my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section on the line 00 m, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 1 y of Fig. 3 of the fence-making end of the machine.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in Fig. 1 a frame consisting of side beams 1 and cross-beams 2, constituting a skeleton platform, upon which the various mechanisms to be described are mounted.

Journaled in bearings 3 3 at one end of the machine is an axle 4, on each end of which is secured a traction-wheel 5 of any approved construction, and near the other end is an axle 6, mounted to turn upon an upright axis 7 and carrying steering-wheels 8 8. This upright axis is controlled through a sprocketchain 9 and worm-gear 10 11, mounted upon a suitable support 12, fast on the under side of the frame, and this worm-gear is controlled by a steering-rod 13, carrying the worm member 11 at one end and a handwheel 4 at the other end within easy reach of an operator, as will hereinafter appear. This rod 13 passes through and is supported by a bearing 15, fast on an upright 16, near the traction end of the frame; but, if desir- 811316 1110113 bearings may be provided.

At the traction end of the machine is mounted a wire-fence-making machine A upon two uprights 17 18, and back of this fence-machine is a spool-carrier B, both structures being suitably held by braces 19.

Since the structure of this fence-machine A B forms no part of the present invention, it is not shown in detail, and it is unnecessary to describe its various parts. Any known construction of fence-machine which will weave wire fencing of the desired type may be used.

Mounted upon the frame about midway of its length is an engine C of the explosive type, which, as shown, is designed to be operated by gasolene or other hydrocarbon fluid supplied from a tank D, mounted upon the extreme end of the frame over the steeringwheels 8, and between this fuel-tank D and the engine is located another tank E for the cooling-water supplied to the water-jacket of the engine. It is unnecessary to describe the engine in detail, since it may be of any approved type; but the explosive type is preferable, because of the ease of operation and the present familiarity of persons who would have use for the fence-machine with engines of such type.

Upon the driving-shaft 20 of the engine is a pulley 21, and upon the driving-shaft 22 of the fence machine is another pulley 23. Power is transmitted from the pulley 21 of the engine to the pulley 23 of the fence-ma+ chine by a belt 24, a belt beingused in this connection for reasons which will hereinafter appear. The driving-shaft 22 of the fence-machine carries the pulley 23 at one end and a fiy-wheel 25 at the other end, and between the pulley and fly-wheel the shaft is journaled in the box 26 upon the standard 17 and in a pillow-block 27 on top of the upright 16. Between the bearings of the shaft 22 it carries a bevel-gear 28, meshing with another gear 29 for driving the various parts of the fence-machine, and between this gear 28 and the pillow-block 27 the shaft has keyed to it a sprocket-pinion 30, which by means of a sprocket-chain 31 drives a sprocket-wheel 32 IIO upon a counter-shaft 33, journaled at one end to the upright 16 and at the other end in a pillow-block 34 on top of an upright 35, se cured to the framework of the machine parallel with the upright 16. The counter-shaft 33 in turn carries a sprocket-pinion 36, which transmits motion through a sprocket-chain 37 to a sprocket-wheel 38, fast on another counter-shaft 39 and journaled in bearings 40 41, mounted upon one of the side beams 1 of the frame and upon an intermediate strut 42 of the said frame. The counter-shaft 39 in turn has keyed to it a pinion 43, meshing with a gear 44, fast on the aXle 4, carrying the traction-wheels 5.

Upon the upright 16, below the shaft 22, there is pivoted an arm 45, constituting a lever of the first order. One end 46 of this lever has journaled in it a roller 47 in the path of the belt 24, so that when the other or handle end 48 of the lever is depressed the pulley 47 will engage under the belt between the pulleys 21 and 23 and take up the slack of the belt, which is purposely made loose enough so as to slip on the pulley 23 until the lever is operated in such manner as to tighten the belt sufficiently to drive the pulley 23. is contiguous to the hand-wheel 14 of the steering-rod 13, so that an operator at this end of the machine has not only control of the fence-making machine, but also may at the same time steer the entire structure.

' Attached to the axle 6 of the steeringwheels 8 there may be a pole 49, by means of which the entire structure may be moved from place to place by draft-animals when the engine is not in operation; but when the engine is driving the truck this pole may be dispensed with or held up out of contact with the ground.

The fence-making unit described having been transported to the proper place where a fence is to be made, the warp-strands 50 of the wire fence are adjusted in position, and the engine is started. Now by tightening the belt 24 power is transmitted from the engine to the fence-machine through the pulley 23 on the shaft 22, thus setting the fencema chine in operation. At the same time power is transmitted from the shaft 22 through the sprocket-chain gearing to the traction-wheels 5, and the entire structure is caused to move in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1 while the weaving of the fence is progressing.

The rate of transmission of power from the shaft 22 to the traction-wheels 5 is so timed that the progress of the entire structure 'is such that the tension on the completed fence is maintained uniform, so that the fence is woven to the best advantage and far better than can be done by any stationary machine intended to be operated in the field.

While the weaving is progressing the machine is steered by means of the hand-wheel The handle end 48 of the lever 45 14 and steering-wheels 8, so that whatever may be the character of the ground over which the machine moves the operator may control the steering, so as to maintain the weaving of the fence uniform, and in this he is aided through the control over the rate of weaving through the belt-tightening lever 45, it being understood that the speed of engines of the type shown is practically uniform.

Because of the complete control the operator'has over the rate of weaving of the fence through the belt-tightening lever 45 the fence may be woven with uniformity irrespective of the character of the ground over which the machine may pass. The advantage of this will be the more apparent when it is considered that this machine is adapted to be used in the field where the surface v a ries greatly, and it has been found from actual experience that uniformity of weaving is accomplished on uneven ground with the same certainty that it may be done on level ground. This is due to the fact that the machine is driven by the same power that drives the fence-making structure at a speed accurately timed to be in synchronism with the speed of weaving and that provision is made for controlling the speed of weaving and corresponding'progress of the machine to adapt the same to the inequalities of the ground ordinarily found in fields where the fence is to be made on the spot, so that the strain on the fencemachine may be kept uniform and the fence be woven with practical uniformity.

It will be understood, of course, that the character of the fence-making machine may be varied to weave fences of different mesh and height; also, that other power than an explosive-engine may be used as the prime mover; but whatever be the power it is necessary that it be under the same control, as hereinbefore set forth. It will also be understood that the truck may also be provided with an awning for the protection of the op erator and with seats, if so desired; but these adjuncts are not shown in the drawings.

1. A portable fence-making unit comprising a truck having traction-wheels, a prime mover mounted on the truck, a fence-weaving machine upon the truck, connections between the prime mover and the fence-machine, connections between the prime mover and the traction-wheels of the truck timed to propel the truck in synchronism with the rate of weaving of the fence, and controlling means for regulating the speed of the truck and of the fence-machine irrespective of the speed of the prime mover.

2. A portable fence-making unit comprising a truck mounted at one end upon traction-wheels and at the other end provided with steering-wheels, a prime mover upon the truck, a fence weaving machine also mounted upon the truck, connections between the prime mover and the fence-ma chine and between the prime mover and the traction-wheels timed to drive the truck in synchronism with the rate of weaving of the fence, steering connections from the fencemaking end of the machine to the steeringwheels, and controlling means for regulating the speed of weaving of the fence and the progress of the truck also located at the fence-making end of the machine.

3 A portable fence-making unit consisting of a truck having traction-wheels at one end, a fence-weaving machine mounted upon the traction end of the truck, a prime mover also mounted on the truck, loose connections between the prime mover and the fence-machine, means for tightening said loose connections to drive the fence-machine, and positive connections between the fence-machine drive and the traction-wheels of the truck timed to propel the truck in synchronism with the rate of weaving of the fence.

4. A fence-making unit comprising a portable truck mounted upon traction-wheels at one end and steering-wheels at the other end, a fence-weaving machine mounted upon the traction end of the truck, a prime mover mounted upon the steering end of the truck, a drive-shaft positively connected to the fence weaving machine, positive connections between said drive-shaft and the traction-wheels, a loose connection between the prime mover and the aforesaid drive-shaft, means for tightening said loose connection located at the traction end of the truck, and means for controlling the steering-wheels also located at the traction end of the truck.

5. A fence making unit comprising a truck mounted at one end upon tractionwheels and at the other end upon steeringwheels, a fence-weaving machine mounted upon the traction end of the truck, an explosive-engine mounted upon the other end of the truck, a drive-shaft positively connected to the fence-weaving machine and also posi* tively connected to the traction wheels through gearing timed to drive the truck synchronously with the rate of weaving of the fence, a loose belt connection between the k engine and the drive-shaft, tightening means for the belt located at the traction end of the truck, and means also located at the traction end of the truck and connected to the steering-wheels for steering the truck.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ELLIOTT DIAL.

lVitnesses:

R. E. DIAL, O. H. THOMPSON. 

